BERNARD NOVELL MUSIC BOXES
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      • 12/195 Lecoultre Freres Cartel
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      • Symphonion Brevete
      • 12/129 NF Fat Cylinder RD
      • 6/103 Unknown RD
      • 4/82 Chevob RD
      • 6/41 PVF Bells RD
      • 4/78 Nicole Freres RD
      • 2/51 Photo Album Tabatiere RD
      • Cigarette Box Conversions
    • Coming Soon >
      • 8/97 Nicole Freres RD
      • 8/77 Bremond Drum & Bells RD
      • 6/58 Ami Rivenc Cartel
    • How to restore a Music Box >
      • Mechanism Restoration
      • Case Restoration
      • Small mechanism restoration
  • Private Projects
    • 12/195 Lecoultre Freres RD
    • 12/72 Unknown RD
    • 8/130 Cuendet RD
    • 8/122 Ducummun Girod RD
    • 8/88 Paillard, Vaucher et Fils
    • 8/79 L'Epee RD
    • 8/78 Langdorff et Fills RD
    • 6/107 Nicole Freres RD
    • 6/104 Nicol Freres RD
    • 6/57 Cartel RD
    • 6/41 Ami Rivenc Cartel RD
    • 4/57 Unknown RD
    • 4/50 George Baker RD
    • 3/99 Opera Cartel RD
    • 6/50 Tabatiére
    • 3/70 Burr Walnut Tabatiére
    • 3/36 Silver Birch Tabatiére
    • 3/36 Small Oak Tabatiére
    • 3/36 Burl Walnut Tabatiére
    • 2/70 Piano Nécessaire
    • 2/50 Cuendet
    • 2/32 Painted Music Box
    • 2/18 Personalised Mahogany Box
    • 1/37 Personalised Mahogany Box
    • 1/37 Personalised Oak Box
    • 1/18 Carousel
    • Japanese Box
    • Do-terra Box
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    • Completed Commissions >
      • 12/72 Nicole Freres
      • 12/62 Paillard Vaucher
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      • Walnut Writing Slope
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        • 12/72 Unknown
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    • Sold >
      • 2/55 Photo Album
      • 1/18 Ex Mallorca box
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      • 1/18 Balerina Jewellery Box
      • 2/22 Photo Album Movement
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    • Glossary of Terms

Symphonion Breveté Model 2 - Serial No. 265607 - early 1900's
8.5" (21cm) disc with split combs of 30 teeth each

Picture
Bought privately from a local lady. It belonged to her father. Her family are not interested in inheriting it, so aren't I the lucky one?

28th May
​And so the dismantling & cleaning begins ...
​It's one of the muckiest movements I've come across to date. This could take some time.
First split pin removal
The governor
Stop / start lever
Winder
Treble comb
Bass comb
Winder ratchet
Governor
Endless, vanes, crane arm & brake
Bearing
Drive train bottom and fixing
Drive train top
Drive train with adjuster removed
Winder ratchet and pawl
Main bracket, spring motor with great wheel assembly
Centre pivot disc drive
Disc drive bottom
Great wheel & drive cog arbor
Spring motor
Geneva stop works
Geneva stop works parts
Spring arbor and cover plate
Spring casing
Disc arm end post
End post removed. Space beneath
Bed plate with star wheel assemblies
Star wheel assembly 1
Star wheel assembly 2
Bedplate

29th May - Cleaning and polishing
Pressure bar end support
Pressure bar end support
Pressure bar & end support
Endless and vanes
Lots of brass bits
Treble comb half cleaned
Comb screws and blued washers
Both coms and fixings

Re-giliding the bedplate using Liberon Gilt Cream. ​Needs to dry for 24 hours and then buffed.
​Movement bracket cleaned.

Some of the components after polishing. Still lots more to go!
Winder arm
Spring barrel cover
Spring barrel cover and arbor
Disc drive plate
Geneva Stop works
Brake
Winder ratchet
Start / stop lever
Stop mechanism

Star Wheels
Two gantries of 30 wheels, so 60 in total.
Needed cleaning on all sides. A delicate operation but a satisfying result.
Star wheels removed from gantry
Star wheel laid out in order
Some cleaned, some not
Spot the difference
Star wheels back in gantry
Cleaned gantry
All the components cleaned ready to fix to bedplate
Springs fitted
Gantry & dampers
Second set dismantled for cleaning
All parts laid out in order for cleaning
Brass gantry half cleaned
All components cleaned
Reassembling the star wheel bar
Gantry reassembled

The Spring - is cleaned and back in it's polished barrel

Now to reassemble the star wheel gantries and dampers to the bedplate. 
​Once in place the gantries and dampers need to correctly aligned.
Forst gantry and dampers in place
Both gantries and dampers in place
Second gantry and dampers in place
Movement reassembled, views from underneath
Movement views from above
Movement running

Although the movement runs nicely, there's still work to do to align the star wheel gantries, combs and dampers.​ This could be tricky!
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Site last updated 6th June 2025


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  • Welcome
    • About
    • History
  • The Collection
    • Cartels >
      • 12/195 Lecoultre Freres Cartel
      • 12/129 NF Fat Cylinder
      • 8/130 Cuendet
      • 8/122 Ducummun-Girod
      • 8/97 Nicole Freres
      • 8/88 Pallard, Vaucher et Fils
      • 8/79 L'Epee Cartel
      • 8/78 Langdorff & Fils
      • 8/77 Bremond Drum & Bells
      • 8/77 Paillard Vaucher HE
      • 6/107 Nicole Freres
      • 6/104 Nicol Freres
      • 6/103 Unknown
      • 6/58 Ami Rivenc
      • 6/41 PVF Bells in sight
      • 4/78 Nicole Freres
      • 4/57 Unknown
      • 4/50 George Baker
      • 3/99 Cartel
      • 2/82 Rzebitschek
    • Tabatiéres >
      • 2/50 JGM Tabatiere
      • 2/55 Tortoiseshell
      • 2/59 Leather Cased Tabatiere
      • 2/52 US Ebony
      • 2/69 Ebony
      • 2/70 Brass / Oak Tabatiére
      • 3 Air Georgian Tabatiere
      • 3/57 Burr Walnut
      • 4/52 American Tabatiere
      • 4/61 Hamburg Tabatiere
      • 4/77 Mandoline Zither
      • 4/82 Fortisimo
      • 6/42 Bremond
      • 6/50 Petites Musique RD
      • 6/51 Petites Musique
      • 12/37 Ullmann
    • Classic
    • Manivelles >
      • Multiphone Manivelle
    • Disc Players
    • Bird Barrel Organ
    • Ceramic
    • Jewellery Boxes
    • Paperweights
    • Novelties
    • Non Musical Boxes
    • Other Items
  • The Workshop
    • In the Workshop >
      • Symphonion Brevete
      • 12/129 NF Fat Cylinder RD
      • 6/103 Unknown RD
      • 4/82 Chevob RD
      • 6/41 PVF Bells RD
      • 4/78 Nicole Freres RD
      • 2/51 Photo Album Tabatiere RD
      • Cigarette Box Conversions
    • Coming Soon >
      • 8/97 Nicole Freres RD
      • 8/77 Bremond Drum & Bells RD
      • 6/58 Ami Rivenc Cartel
    • How to restore a Music Box >
      • Mechanism Restoration
      • Case Restoration
      • Small mechanism restoration
  • Private Projects
    • 12/195 Lecoultre Freres RD
    • 12/72 Unknown RD
    • 8/130 Cuendet RD
    • 8/122 Ducummun Girod RD
    • 8/88 Paillard, Vaucher et Fils
    • 8/79 L'Epee RD
    • 8/78 Langdorff et Fills RD
    • 6/107 Nicole Freres RD
    • 6/104 Nicol Freres RD
    • 6/57 Cartel RD
    • 6/41 Ami Rivenc Cartel RD
    • 4/57 Unknown RD
    • 4/50 George Baker RD
    • 3/99 Opera Cartel RD
    • 6/50 Tabatiére
    • 3/70 Burr Walnut Tabatiére
    • 3/36 Silver Birch Tabatiére
    • 3/36 Small Oak Tabatiére
    • 3/36 Burl Walnut Tabatiére
    • 2/70 Piano Nécessaire
    • 2/50 Cuendet
    • 2/32 Painted Music Box
    • 2/18 Personalised Mahogany Box
    • 1/37 Personalised Mahogany Box
    • 1/37 Personalised Oak Box
    • 1/18 Carousel
    • Japanese Box
    • Do-terra Box
  • Commissions
    • Commissions & Restorations >
      • Repair Shop >
        • Bagatelle
        • Chequered Table
        • High Chair
        • Jewellery Box
        • Mills
        • Necklace Box
        • Music Box
        • Travel Box
        • Two boxes
        • Writing Slope
    • Completed Commissions >
      • 12/72 Nicole Freres
      • 12/62 Paillard Vaucher
      • 8/77 Unattributed
      • 6/57 Cartel
      • 4/50 Reuge in Tunbridge Ware Music Box
      • 2/22 Trinket Box
      • Walnut Writing Slope
      • Sewing Boxes x 2
      • Tabatiere SG
      • Victorian Writing Slope 2
      • Tunbridge Ballerina Box
      • Pair of small 1/18 Boxes
      • Victorian Sewing Box
      • Victorian Writing Slope
      • Two small boxes
      • Seasons Photo Album
      • Queen Victoria Album
  • Shop
    • Stock >
      • For Sale by Auction >
        • 12/72 Unknown
        • 8/38 Mermod Freres
        • 8/25 Unknown in Oak Box
        • 6/57 Unknown
        • 6/41 Ami Rivenc
    • Sold >
      • 2/55 Photo Album
      • 1/18 Ex Mallorca box
      • 1/18 Georgian Box
      • Japanese Butterfly Box
      • Barrel Organ Manivelle Kit
      • 1/18 Balerina Jewellery Box
      • 2/22 Photo Album Movement
  • Links
    • Glossary of Terms